Friday, February 1, 2013

The Devil's Looking Glass-Mark Chadbourn

The Devil's Looking Glass

Mark Chadbourn

PYR, Feb 5 2013, $17.95

ISBN: 9781616147006

In 1593, Queen Elizabeth’s inner most circle of powerbrokers are afraid of what will happen since black alchemist magician Dr. John Dee vanished in possession of a doomsday weapon of mass destruction, the obsidian mirror that if ignited will cause an inferno around the world. Complicating matters with Dee’s disappearance is the magic defenses that prevent the Unseelie Court from devastating Elizabeth’s England are collapsing as the evil enemy begins turning London into an ice age.

Top operative Will Swyfte and his allies (Carpenter, Strangewayes, and Robert) are assigned to find and bring back to London Dee and the mirror. However, when Will obtains the obsidian mirror, he also learns this magical looking glass might help him solve the haunting mystery of what happened to his beloved missing Jenny abducted by the Fey over a decade ago. Delaying for a personal obsession means the sun will no long rise over England; so outing aside his compulsion to take care of his need, Will pursues Dee into the heart of the Unseelie Court in the New World’s Great Satan.

The third Sword of Albion Elizabethan Era fantasy (see The Scar-Crow Men and The Silver Skull) is an exciting action-packed thriller that once again effortlessly blends the paranormal with the historical. Though some of the key support players seem off their A game, the storyline is fast-paced from the moment Dee thinks with his lower head and never slows down. Readers will enjoy The Devil's Looking Glass as Will faces a devilish opportunity cost between attempting to save his Jenny and attempting to save his country.